Chick box



May 26, 1936. c. T.' PATTERSOI'! CHICK BOX Filed Sept. 15, 1954 Mfg 35 7 I a & INVENTOR- WITNESS A Patented May 26, 1936 UNITED STATES PATENT oFFice CHICK Box Charley T. Patterson, Springfield, Mo. Application September 13, 1934, Serial No. 743,846 Claims. (01.229-6) My invention relates to chick boxes, particularly ventilated shipping containers for chicks and pertains for the most part to improvements in ventilation and improved features which facili-' 5 tate the setting up of such containers. It is the common practice of concerns manufacturing such boxes to ship them in the knocked-down condition, i. e., fiat, the hatcheryman or other user making the folds in the box and cover and 10 stapling to fasten the different parts in place. Although the various parts are scored on the lines where the folds are to be made it is diificult to secure a neat fold,.especially on the piece which is to constitute the cover (mild, in which case the outer portion of the sheet which is to form the rim or vertical portion of the cover is relatively narrow and although held in place at the corners after folding, the portions of the sides between the comers of thecover are inclined to resume their original shape or straighten out in a plane with the top or horizontal por \tion of the cover. It is one object of my invention to overcome this objectionable feature and at the same time improve upon the present 5 ziilentilation methods as will be set forth herein- It is the usual'custom to make chick boxes with the upper or outlet ventilation openings in the top or horizontal portion of the cover, utilizing sticks or strips on top of the cover to prevent other boxes or objects from coming in direct contact with the cover of the box which, if allowed, would prevent the proper circulation of air. The use of these "sticks" is an added expense and entail considerable labor in aflixing to the cover, and the holes in the top weaken the top and complicate the operation of folding the rim thereof inasmuch as the cover is inclined to break or fold through these holes rather than on the predetermined scored line. In my invention I have provided a ventilating means which eliminates the need for sticks, that strengthens the top and at the same time provides a means whereby the setting upor folding of the cover is more satisfactorily and more easily accomplished. It will be noted that I have provided an opening in .the pendant portion of the cover which has one straight side which coincides with the predetermined line on which the fold is to be made, thereby preventing the fold from falling in the top portion of the cover inside the line of juncture, while my remaining periphery is so shaped that the opening is widest at a point adjacent the line of juncture whereby the 65 cover is weakened along this line to induce the fold to assume a straight line coinciding with the line of juncture. It will be observed that I have so combined the ventilation openings with the scored line on which the cover is to be folded that they cooperate'in weakening the cover along 5 a predetermined line forming a line with least resistance to bending thereby facllitating the folding thereof. It is well known that chickboxes are invariably made of thick, double-faced, corrugated board and that when such board'is bent 10 at right angles the outer face of the board does not elongate as in the case with compactboa'rds, but assumes a curve, while the inner face folds upon itself and is shortened laterally of the fold by an amount greater than ,the thickness of the 15 board, whereby considerable material is consumed in making the bend. It is further known that considerable tension is placed upon the outerface of the board transversely of such fold. I

It will be observed that in my structure, before 20 folding a minimum of material in longitudinal cross-section is. provided between the openings and adjacent the line of juncture of the pendant side portion and the top of the cover. .It is further noted that a portion of the sides of the openings adjoining the folding line are straight and at right-angles to the folding line whereby the minimum longitudinal cross-section prevails for a considerable distance laterally and contequently a uniform minimum resistance to bend- 3U ing is provided throughout the section of ma-. terial between adjacent openings and abutting such straight lateral portions. This lateral extension of the uniform minimum longitudinal cross-section provides material to be consumed in making the bend. outwardly of such straight lateral portions and completing the perimeter of the openings the contour is substantially semicircular, resulting in a narrowing of the opening beyond the outer extremity of the straight lateral 4o portions, whereby a. greater resistance to bend ing is provided through sections outward of such straight lateral portions and thereby confining the bend to that portion delineated transversely by the straight lateral portions. 45

A more detailed description of my. invention is given inthe following specifications referring to the accompanying drawing in which:

Fig. 1 is a perspective view, partly in section showing one embodiment of my invention. Fig. 5 2 is a fragmentary plan view showing in detail the construction of the cover of my box before folding. Fig. 3 is a fragmentary perspective view showing how the cover of my. box is folded. Fig.

- said pendant sides,

4 is a vertical section of a part of the cover taken on line AB Fig. 2.

In detail, in Fig. l, I, I represent the cover of the box having pendant sidewalls 2, 2, 2, 2, 3, 3, 3, 3, are the sidewalls of the box which have openings 4, 4, 4, t in the lower portion thereof. 5, 5, 5, 5 are openings in the pendant sidewalls of the cover. 6, 6, 6 are serrations in the top of the sidewalls of the box which coincide with the openings 5 in the sidewalls of the cover to form a continuous opening when the cover is in position on the box.

The cover, before folding, is shown in Fig. 2, the same numerals representing the same component parts as in Fig. 1 with the additional numeral 1 indicating the dotted line representing the line on which the cover is scored and where the cover is to be folded.

Fig. 3 shows how the cover is folded, the corners breaking or folding on the scored line which is further weakened through the removal of material in forming the openings 5. The reference numerals have the same application as in other views. 1

In Fig. 4 is shown a vertical section of the cover before folding taken on line AB Fig; 2 in which the scored line I is indicated.

I claim:

1. In a blank for a box cover and made of material having an inner face and an outer face, an imperforate central portion designed to constitute the top portion of said cover, outer peripheral portions designed to. constitute pendant sides of said cover, scored lines delineating the predetermined juncture of said top portion and openings in said peripheral portions, a portion of the perimeter of said openings being straight, said straight portion coinciding with the line of juncture of said top portion and said peripheral portions, portions of the perimeter of the openings adjoining said straight portion being straight and at right-angles to said first-mentioned straight portion, said rightangled portions being of a length commensurate with the lateral shortening of the inner face of said material when bent at right-angles, and the remaining perimeter of 'said'opening being approximately semicircular in contour,

2. In a blank for a box cover, a central portion designed to constitute the top portion of said cover, outer peripheral portions designed to constitute pendant sides of said cover, openings in the outer peripheral portions, the perimeter of said openings having a straight side, said straight side coinciding with the juncture of said top portion and said pendant sides, the perimeter of said openings having lateral portions, said lateral portions forming opposite sides of said openings'and adjoining said straight portion in right-angled relation thereto, .said lateral portions being straight, and a semicircular portion adjoining said lateral portions and completing the perimeter of said opening.

3. In a blank for a box cover, a central imperforate portion designed to constitute the top portion of said cover, perforate outer peripheral portions designed toconstitute the pendant sides of said cover, the perforations of which are composed of openings having straight sides in longitudinal alignment with the predetermined juncture between the top portion of said cover and the pendant sides thereof, said openings having transverse sides in right-angled relation to said first-mentioned side, and adjoining portions which converge as they recede from said rig'htangled portions and meeting to complete the perimeter of said opening.

- 4. In a blank 'for a chick box cover, unitary central and peripheral portions, said central portion being designed to constitute the top portion of said cover, 'said peripheral portions designed to constitute the pendant side walls of said cover, openings in the outer. peripheral portions, said openings having a'straight side, said straight sides being in longitudinalalignmentwith the predetermined juncture of said top portion and said pendant walls, said openings ha'ving lateral portions adjoining said straight side, said lateral portions being straight and at right-angles with saidfirst-mentioned straight side, said lateral portions being of a length commensurate with areuate length of the curve formed in the outer surface of the cover when said'pendant portions are formed,'converging portions adjoining said lateral portions and completing the perimeter of said openings.

- 5. In a chick box, in combination, a receptacle portion having a bottom and side walls, openings "in said side walls near the bottoms thereof, a cover portion having an imperforate top section and-pendant sidewalls, said side walls being'designed to'fit in telescopic relation'over the side walls ofv said receptacle portion when in place thereon, the sidewalls of said cover portion having openings therein, a portionof'the perimeter of said openings forming'a' straight line, said straight line coinciding with the line of juncture of said top section and said pendant sidewalls,

and serrations in the tops of the sidewalls of said receptacle portion which coincide with said openings in the pendant sidewalls of said cover portion when thelatter is in position on said receptacle portion. i T

CHARLEY T. PATTERSON. 

